


Everybody has a Dream

by CosmicCove



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Can totally be read as Charles/Henry, Crying, Dreams and Nightmares, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I didn't want to focus on ships for this one but, Nightmares, Not Beta Read we die like Henry did in the Revenged ending, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Selectively Mute Character, Takes Place in Pardoned Pals timeline, it could because I do ship it and I wrote it as underlying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26027953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicCove/pseuds/CosmicCove
Summary: World gets strange when you can reset time without knowing.  It gets strange for you and everyone around you.  That's why anyone who has met Henry Stickmin is beginning to have strange dreams about things that have never happened; strange shared nightmares that feel a little too real to be left to imagination.-A series of one-shots based on my AU called Everybody has a Dream.
Relationships: Charles Calvin & Henry Stickmin
Comments: 16
Kudos: 160





	Everybody has a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> The way this is set up is that every chapter is about a different character. Sometimes a chapter seems to cover more than one, but don't worry, I most likely won't actually cover two characters in one chapter, so everybody gets a chance to shine. Including this chapter, I at least want to cover 5 characters and then have an extra chapter that will be a collect of short drabbles covering side characters that don't have enough to them to get their own chapter, but I still would like to do something for. I may do more than that, though; who knows!

Henry lurched out of sleep for the second time that night. Sitting upright, he shoved all the covers off of him, suddenly too warm for comfort. First, it was that awful dream about masacreing the Toppats in blind rage, his body contorted with machinery. Sure, he disliked them, but he couldn’t bear the thought of just… Killing them all. He didn’t want to become the monster he saw in the dream. Dying at the end seemed like a blessing after everything he’d done. 

But this dream… He almost felt silly picking up the phone and dialing Charles’ number, but he had to check on him now. It was so late into the night, 2 AM according to the clock, that he doubted Charles would pick up. However, Henry’s uncertainty was disproven with a surprisingly awake, “Henry?” 

“Charles,” Henry replied, trying his best not to sound like he was crying. 

“Henry?” Charles repeated, more fervently, “Is everything okay?” 

Well, so much for sounding calm. “Yeah,” Henry confirmed, “It’s just- This is going to sound silly…” 

“Trust me Henry, whatever it is, I promise I won’t think it’s silly. Whatever’s bothering you is a big deal to me no matter how small.” 

Henry smiled, the tears still shining in his eyes already thinning out. His smile quickly faded into a grimace as he began to explain his dream to Charles. “Well, I had a dream where the Toppats actually managed to get their satellite base up and running.” 

“Oh dear.” 

“That wasn’t the bad part,” Henry croaked, swallowing so his voice didn’t sound so strained, “We both went to take it down. Something went wrong. It- It exploded.” 

“But that’s good, right?” Charles asked, “We wanted it gone. Sounds like a mission well done to me!” 

“We were inside when it was going to explode,” Henry explained. 

“Ok, bad then.” 

“We found some escape pods. It looked like we were gonna make it. But there was another guy. He dragged me out of the pod, and you- you saved me…” 

“Oh yay!” Charles cheered, “That’s good! I saved the day!” He began humming over the phone. 

“But you couldn’t get back in the escape pod in time. I was torn away from the base, and you stayed inside. I had to watch as it exploded- You _died_ Charles.” Henry’s momentarily stilled tears had begun to run down his cheeks again as he explained. 

Charles was silent for a moment. “You’re upset because _I_ died?” he asked finally, “Even though you were okay?” 

“Well, yeah, I- You’re my best friend. I don’t want to lose you.” 

Charles hummed again, thoughtful this time, as opposed to playful. “It’s kind of comforting, in a way,” he noted. 

“How?” 

“I know how much I mean to you now,” Charles explained, “It was only a dream, but you- I mean, you’re crying, I can hear it over the phone.” 

Henry laughed weakly, then sniffled, “Yeah, I know it’s a little silly to bug you this late, but I had to make sure you were okay.” 

“Rest assured, I’m perfectly okay,” Charles replied. Henry could hear the smile Charles undoubtedly had plastered on his face through his voice. A smile that was smiling partially because it is a little funny that his friend would call him in the middle of the night to check up on him because he had a nightmare about him, but also smiling partially because it was touching that his friend might care that much. 

“I’m glad, then,” Henry laughed, wiping the last tears from his eyes, “I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“You know, I've also had some pretty strange dreams recently,” Charles noted. 

“Oh?” Henry hummed curiously, “Like what?” 

“I had one where you betrayed the government and joined the Toppats,” Charles listed, “I had one where we became special covert ops together- that one was fun!” 

Henry chuckled, “Yeah, that does sound fun.” 

“I had one where-” He trailed off, pausing for a moment, “Actually, you might not want to hear about that one…” 

“It’s okay, tell me,” Henry persuaded. 

“I had one where you- Uh- You- Well- You… Killed all the toppats? And then died?” Charles explained, “We at the government had to go over there and clean it all up- it was a grisly sight.” 

Henry froze. Even though he always felt okay to speak around Charles, his voice seemed to leave him that moment. It was like he couldn’t even breath. He listened to Charles’ nervous laugh from over the phone. “You wanna talk about silly dreams,” Charles continued, “That one takes the cake! There’s no way you’d do that!” 

Silence. 

“Henry?” Charles asked. 

Still no reply. 

“I- Oh- I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings,” Charles mumbled. 

Finally, Henry managed to faintly ask, “Can you come over here?” 

A pause. “Like, right now?” More silence- Henry felt like his voice would never return. “I’ll be right over,” Charles replied, understanding the situation. Henry sighed with a smile, grateful that Charles was always able to read him so well, even when he couldn’t speak during a phone call. 

“Do you want me to stay on the phone with you until I get there?” 

Henry hummed out a sound he hoped sounded like a no- hell, he hoped Charles heard it at all, it was so quiet. 

“Alright, well, um, see you later, then,” Charles replied. He had heard, further filling Henry with relief, though temporary. With the phone now hung up, he had some quiet time to think. 

_Alright, Henry, get a hold of yourself,_ He told himself in his head, _It’s weird as all hell, but you have to resolve yourself somewhat. What it is- whatever you and Charles saw- It isn’t the you that you are now. You’re a good person. No matter what you steal you’re still a good person!_ He couldn’t seem to solidly assure himself, only give him weak roots of security that were easily weeded out by his fear and doubt. 

At least he had calmed himself to steady breathing by the time Charles had arrived. Charles let himself inside; Henry had given both his friends a key to his house after they had taken out the Toppat’s rocket. Charles poked his head into the room cautiously. “Henry?” 

Henry waved hello back. 

Charles smiled softly, relieved. Seeing that made Henry feel safe. Henry patted next to him on the bed, inviting Charles to sit. “Sure,” Charles agreed, taking a seat next to Henry, “So what happened?” 

Henry signed, “Sorry.” 

“Sorry for what?” Charles asked, “For not wanting to talk? I understand, you know. Sometimes it’s hard.” 

Henry sighed, and then signed, “Usually I have no problem talking to you or Ellie. No one else makes me feel safe enough to do that. Not being able to talk to you feels-” He sat there, thinking of the right words, his hands lingering on ‘feels’ before he continued, “weird.” 

Charles shrugged. “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t mind.” Henry lifted his hands again, but Charles cut him off, “Yes, I even don’t mind coming here to see you.” Henry lowered his hands with a sad smile. “I was awake anyways. That dream I had shook me up a bit.” 

Henry felt himself start to shake a little, but he clenched his fists to still himself, or at least keep his hands steady. “What if it wasn’t a dream?” he asked as soon as he felt steady enough. 

Charles chuckled. “How could it not be? We know what happened to the Toppats and their rocket. There’s no way it could have happened! Besides, if it had, you’d be dead; there’s the proof!” 

“I had the same dream,” Henry told him, hoping that despite his trembling hands Charles could still read the signs. 

“You- Huh,” Charles wondered. He paused. “What does that matter?” 

Henry stared in confusion. 

Charles took that as an invitation to continue. “Why should that matter to me?” he explained, “Even if something strange like that happened in some other version of our world, it’s not my Henry. You are the Henry I was given, something I’m grateful for everyday. No amount of scary dreams can change that.” 

“But I’m scared.” 

Charles wanted nothing more than to take hold of Henry’s hands and tell him everything would be alright, but he didn’t want to hinder Henry’s speaking capabilities, or instead he simply asked, “What’s there to be afraid of?” 

“What if that monster really is me?” Henry asked, his sign language definitely sloppy from the fear this time, and tears beginning to roll down his cheeks once again, “What if I really am a vengeful killer?” 

Charles sighed, but it was a sigh of lighthearted disbelief rather than annoyance or exasperation. “Okay, let’s say you are. What do you have to avenge right now?” 

Henry thought for a moment. “Nothing.” 

“I think you’re going to be a-okay,” Charles reassured him quietly. 

Henry leaned against his friend, finally feeling at peace. “Thanks,” he whispered quietly, glad that he felt good enough to speak again. Charles pulled Henry into his arms. Henry sat there enjoying it until he finally fell back asleep, and had a completely normal dream.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope I wrote a selectively mute Henry right. I'd like to think that the only people he talks to are Charles and Ellie because he doesn't trust anyone else enough to. I also think that when Henry doesn't feel safe or is very stressed, he can't talk either.


End file.
